Pronunciation specifying apparatus, pronunciation specifying method and recording medium

Abstract

Plural words which partially match the accepted character string data are extracted from a words dictionary. When the numeric character string contained in the accepted character string data has a numeric character string portion for which a partially matching word can not be extracted, a similar word which is similar to the numeric character string portion are extracted from the words dictionary. Based on the extracted words and the extracted similar word, words constituting the accepted character string data are specified, and the pronunciations of the plural extracted words are specified and numerical pronunciation rules are created. The pronunciation of the numeric character string is set in accordance with thus created numerical pronunciation rules. Based on the pronunciations of the specified words and the pronunciation of the similar word including the specified pronunciation of the numeric character string, the pronunciation of the character string data is specified.

1 . A pronunciation specifying apparatus which includes a words dictionary in which the notations and the pronunciations of plural words are stored, wherein the pronunciation of character string data containing a numeric character string is specified, comprising: 
 means which accepts character string data containing a numeric character string;    matching word extracting means which extracts, from among the plural words stored in said words dictionary, plural words which partially match said character string data thus accepted;    judging means which determines whether said numeric character string contained in said character string data thus accepted has a numeric character string portion for which said matching word extracting means can not extract a partially matching word;    similar word extracting means which, when said judging means determines that there is a numeric character string portion for which a partially matching word can not be extracted, extracts from said words dictionary a similar word which is similar to said numeric character string portion for which extraction of a partial matching word is found impossible;    word specifying means which specifies words constituting said character string data thus accepted, based on the plural words and the similar word extracted by said matching word extracting means and said similar word extracting means;    word pronunciation specifying means which specifies the pronunciations of the plural words extracted by said matching word extracting means from among the words specified by said word specifying means;    rule creating means which creates numerical pronunciation rules which are rules regarding the pronunciation of the numeric character string contained in the similar word extracted by said similar word extracting means from among the words specified by said word specifying means;    numeric character string pronunciation specifying means which specifies the pronunciation of said numeric character string contained in the similar word, based on said numerical pronunciation rules created by said rule creating means; and    character string pronunciation specifying means which specifies the pronunciation of said character string data, based on the pronunciations of the words specified by said word pronunciation specifying means and based on the pronunciation of the similar word including the pronunciation of said numeric character string specified by said numeric character string pronunciation specifying means.    
   
   
       2 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said similar word extracting means calculates similarities which are values of evaluation indicative of the levels of similarity, based on at least one selected from a group of characters preceding a predetermined numeric character string, the types of these characters, the number of these characters, subsequent characters, the types of these characters, the number of these characters, the number of the characters in said numeric character string and the numerical values in said numeric character string, among words stored in said words dictionary, and extracts a word whose calculated similarity is the highest as the similar word.  
   
   
       3 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rule creating means creates one or plural numerical pronunciation rules containing information regarding distinction between column reading and split column reading, language information and information regarding the pronunciation of each numerical character, based on the pronunciation stored in correlation to the extracted similar word.  
   
   
       4 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said rule creating means creates one or plural numerical pronunciation rules containing information regarding distinction between column reading and split column reading, language information and information regarding the pronunciation of each numerical character, based on the pronunciation stored in correlation to the extracted similar word.  
   
   
       5 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising numerical pronunciation rule storing means which stores, in memory means, said numerical pronunciation rules created by said rule creating means  
   
   
       6 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising numerical pronunciation rule storing means which stores, in memory means, said numerical pronunciation rules created by said rule creating means.  
   
   
       7 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising numerical pronunciation rule storing means which stores, in memory means, said numerical pronunciation rules created by said rule creating means.  
   
   
       8 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising numerical pronunciation rule storing means which stores, in memory means, said numerical pronunciation rules created by said rule creating means.  
   
   
       9 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising numerical character string pronunciation memory means which stores, in said words dictionary, the notation and the pronunciation of said numeric character string specified by said numeric character string pronunciation specifying means.  
   
   
       10 . A pronunciation specifying apparatus which includes a words dictionary in which the notations and the pronunciations of plural words are stored, wherein the pronunciation of character string data containing a numeric character string is specified, comprising a processor capable of performing the operations of 
 accepting character string data containing a numeric character string;    extracting plural words which partially match said character string data thus accepted, from among the plural words stored in said words dictionary;    determining whether said numeric character string contained in said character string data thus accepted has a numeric character string portion for which a partially matching word can not be extracted;    extracting from said words dictionary similar words which are similar to said numeric character string portion for which a partially matching word can not be extracted, when it is determined that there is a numeric character string portion for which the extraction is found impossible;    specifying words constituting said character string data thus accepted, based on the plural words and the extracted similar word;    specifying the pronunciations of the extracted plural words among the specified words;    creating numerical pronunciation rules which are rules regarding the pronunciation of the numeric character string contained in the extracted similar word among the specified words;    specifying the pronunciation of said numeric character string contained in the similar word, based on said numerical pronunciation rules thus created; and    specifying the pronunciation of said character string data, based on the pronunciations of the specified words and based on the pronunciation of the similar word including the pronunciation of said numeric character string thus specified.    
   
   
       11 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 10  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operations of 
 calculating similarities which are values of evaluation indicative of the levels of similarity, based on at least one selected from a group of characters preceding a predetermined numeric character string, the types of these characters, the number of these characters, subsequent characters, the types of these characters, the number of these characters, the number of the characters in said numeric character string and the numerical values in said numeric character string, among words stored in said words dictionary; and    extracting a word whose calculated similarity is the highest as the similar word.    
   
   
       12 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 10  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operation of 
 creating one or plural numerical pronunciation rules containing information regarding distinction between column reading and split column reading, language information and information regarding the pronunciation of each numerical character, based on the pronunciation stored in correlation to the extracted similar word.    
   
   
       13 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 11  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operation of 
 creating one or plural numerical pronunciation rules containing information regarding distinction between column reading and split column reading, language information and information regarding the pronunciation of each numerical character, based on the pronunciation stored in correlation to the extracted similar word.    
   
   
       14 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 10  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operation of: 
 storing said numerical pronunciation rules thus created, in memory means.    
   
   
       15 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 11  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operation of 
 storing said numerical pronunciation rules thus created, in memory means.    
   
   
       16 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 12  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operation of 
 storing said numerical pronunciation rules thus created, in memory means.    
   
   
       17 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 13  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operation of 
 storing said numerical pronunciation rules thus created, in memory means.    
   
   
       18 . The pronunciation specifying apparatus of  claim 10  comprising the processor further capable of performing the operation of 
 storing the notation and the pronunciation of said numeric character string thus specified, in said words dictionary.    
   
   
       19 . A pronunciation specifying method of specifying the pronunciation of character string data containing a numeric character string, using a words dictionary in which the notations and the pronunciations of plural words are stored, comprising the steps of 
 accepting character string data containing a numeric character string;    extracting plural words which partially match said character string data thus accepted, from among the plural words stored in said words dictionary;    determining whether said numeric character string contained in said character string data thus accepted has a numeric character string portion for which a partially matching word can not be extracted;    extracting from said words dictionary a similar word which is similar to said numeric character string portion for which a partially matching word can not be extracted, when it is determined that there is a numeric character string portion for which the extraction is found impossible;    specifying words constituting said character string data thus accepted, based on the plural words and the extracted similar word;    specifying the pronunciations of the extracted plural words among the specified words;    creating numerical pronunciation rules which are rules regarding the pronunciation of the numeric character string contained in the extracted similar word among the specified words;    specifying the pronunciation of said numeric character string contained in the similar word, based on said numerical pronunciation rules thus created; and    specifying the pronunciation of said character string data, based on the pronunciations of the specified words and based on the pronunciation of the similar word including the pronunciation of said numeric character string thus specified.    
   
   
       20 . A recording medium storing a computer program for a computer including a words dictionary in which the notations and the pronunciations of plural words are stored, which specifies the pronunciation of character string data containing a numeric character string, 
 wherein the computer program stored in said recording medium comprises the steps of    causing the computer to extract plural words which partially match said character string data thus accepted, from among the plural words stored in said words dictionary;    causing the computer to determine whether said numeric character string contained in said character string data thus accepted has a numeric character string portion for which a partially matching word can not be extracted;    causing the computer to extract from said words dictionary a similar word which is similar to said numeric character string portion for which a partially matching words can not be extracted, when it is determined that there is a numeric character string portion for which the extraction is found impossible;    causing the computer to specify words constituting said character string data thus accepted, based on the plural words and the extracted similar word;    causing the computer to specify the pronunciations of the extracted plural words among the specified words;    causing the computer to create numerical pronunciation rules which are rules regarding the pronunciation of the numeric character string contained in the extracted similar word among the specified words;    causing the computer to specify the pronunciation of said numeric character string contained in the similar word, based on said numerical pronunciation rules thus created; and    causing the computer to specify the pronunciation of said character string data, based on the pronunciations of the specified words and based on the pronunciation of the similar word including the pronunciation of said numeric character string thus specified.